Hungry Like the Wolf
by MusicIsTheSoulOfMan
Summary: "He crawled awkwardly over to his small wash basin and found his shaving mirror laying on the floor. He peered into it. Staring back at his was not his face. It was a gold, furry face. The face of a wolf."
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Hungry Like the Wolf

**Author: **MusicIsTheSoulOfMan

**Summary: **"He crawled awkwardly over to his small wash basin and found his shaving mirror laying on the floor. He peered into it. Staring back at his was not his face. It was a gold, furry face. The face of a wolf."

**Rating: ****T** for language and probably violence later on

**A/N Ok, so I have so many story ideas floating around in my head, it's not even funny! I am outlining all of them, and hopefully they all eventually make their way onto here. But, here's the latest piece I'm working on. I don't think I've come across ANY Walking Dead animal fics. I do kind of love them, and decided to give this plot bunny a chase. I hope you enjoy it! Drop a review if ya do! :)**

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HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF

by

MusicIsTheSoulOfMan

Chapter One

Daryl Dixon crouched low to the forest floor, listening closely to the nature surrounding him. He had been observing a fresh set of paw prints that clearly belonged to a wolf. He removed the crossbow from his shoulder and loaded a bolt onto it as quietly as he could. He knew the animal was close by, and wanted to get rid of it so the vermin wouldn't hunt his game.

Daryl waited until he heard the rustling of the leaves before he swung around a tree and aimed his crossbow. He caught sight of the wolf and quickly lined his shot and took it, knowing the animal would bolt at a second's hesitation. With a shrill yelp, the wolf went down. Daryl lowered his weapon and smirked. He approached the still form and examined his target.

It really was a beautiful creature, with its deep brown fur coat. It really was too bad it had to die. Daryl inspected his shot. The arrow was lodged in the wolf's right shoulder. It shouldn't have been a killing shot, but the wolf seemed to be dead. As the hunter went down to retrieve his arrow from his prey, there was a snarl and a flash of white as the wolf lunged up suddenly and sank its fangs into Daryl's forearm. Daryl cried out and stumbled back in surprise. The animal clung hard to the limb for a moment, giving it an awful tear before turning tail and fleeing from sight. Daryl clutched his arm to his chest, blood running freely through the fingers that gripped over the throbbing wound.

"Son of a BITCH!" he gnashed out between his clenched jaw.

Once the initial shock of the attack had worn off, Daryl quickly tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt and wrapped the bite tightly, hoping it wouldn't keep bleeding for long. He cursed the wolf again before angrily picking up his crossbow and heading back the farm where his group was.

* * *

"I suppose it would be beneficial to dig out a well around in that area," Hershel Greene said, leaning over the blueprints to his farmland.

Rick Grimes nodded. "And we'll do the work since it's our group that's on your land."

The man standing next to the ex-deputy, Shane Walsh, rolled his eyes, but kept any snide remarks to himself. His eyes were drawn to movement coming towards them. It was Daryl, appointed hunter of the group. Shane looked away from the Dixon, his usual dislike for the man keeping him from taking interest in what he had to offer.

"Hey, Daryl," Rick saw the hunter too then. "What did you manage to catch out the-" the words died in his mouth and Shane glanced up.

"What's wrong?" Rick questioned.

Shane glanced over at the hunter to see him storming past them.

"Stupid animal got me," Daryl growled at them.

That's when Shane saw the blood soaking though the fabric wrapped around the hunters arm. He quickly intercepted the hunter.

Daryl didn't take to kindly to the intrusion of space and glared at Shane. "Outta my way," he snapped.

Shane leveled the redneck with an equal glare. "What's wrong with your arm?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of him. "You get bit out there?"

The hunter looked ready to explode. "Yeah, but it was by a damn wolf, ya prick!" He tried to shoulder his way past Shane, but the ex-cop was quick to reach out and snatch Daryl's wrist.

"You really expect me to believe that," he said angrily.

"Shane," there was the warning voice of Rick.

That's when Dixon _did_ snap.

"You get yer hands off me!" He snarled, yanking his arm out of Shane's grip and back-pedaled and few feet, his eyes glinting with anger, and a certain other emotion.

Shane realized with deep satisfaction it was fear that also reflected in the hunter's eyes. As he strode over to grab Daryl again, Rick was suddenly in his face. "Leave him be," his voice was sharp and hard.

Shane took a step back from his friend. "He's bit, Rick!" He moved so he could see Daryl behind Rick's tall form. The hunter was holding his wounded arm close to his chest and glaring daggers at Shane. "There's no way I'm lettin' him back into the group without confirmation it's not a Walker that bit him." He turned his steely gaze back to Rick.

Rick sighed and turned to Daryl. "Daryl," he began.

The hunter immediately cut him off. "No way! He's not puttin' his filthy mits on me!"

Shane's lips curled into a snarl and he was about to jump Dixon again, when the forgotten voice of Hershel Greene spoke.

"Enough!" his soft voice had a commanding edge to it. He turned to Daryl. "Now son, I am the doctor here, you best let me take a look at that to make sure it's not serious."

"It wasn't a damn Walker!" Daryl yelled.

"Doesn't matter, son," Hershel shook his head, "Even animal bites can make you sick if they go untreated. Now," he put out his hand. "Let me see."

Daryl's eye flitted nervously between Rick and the old man as he took another half step back.

"It's alright Daryl, let him look at it," Rick encouraged the redneck.

Shane scoffed. He couldn't believe his friend was trying to reason with the man. Dixon was a stubborn asshole who needed to be shown his place. But, to his complete surprise, the redneck slowly extended his arm to the old man, who took the limb in his hands and began unwrapping the crude bandaging. Shane watched intently as Greene wiped away some of the blood and examined the wound.

"Well?" Daryl asked restlessly.

Greene glanced sternly at the redneck and turned his attention back to the arm. "Well," the farmer said after a moment more. "It's definitely a dog bite. You can see the imprints of the teeth here." He grazed his fingers along the hunter's arm.

Rick nodded in finality. "Alright then, that's settled."

Shane smirked and glared at Dixon before turning around and walking back to the farmhouse. Ever since they had made it to the Greene's homestead, it seemed that Rick seemed to be trusting more in the redneck as each day went by. _His_ best friend was replacing him with some white trash hillbilly from who-know-where. Shane ground his teeth as he took off past the house and toward the field to blow off steam, his dislike for redneck increasing exponentially.

* * *

Daryl watched the retreating figure warily. He really, really didn't like Shane. The warm, calloused hands gently probed around the bite wound on his forearm. Daryl winced in pain and pulled away. "Ya don't hafta keep touchin' it!"

Hershel's kind old eyes met his in admonition. But he let Daryl go. "It's not too bad," he stated. "A little inflamed and irritated, but nothing a good cleaning and wrapping won't take care of. I'll make sure you get clean bandages if you make sure to get all the dirt out of it."

Daryl huffed and nodded. "Thanks, Old Man." He said, turning to head to his tent.

Hershel turned to Rick. "I'm not gonna get any trouble from those two, am I?" he warned Rick, looking at Daryl, and then back to where Shane had left.

Rick sighed tiredly. "No, you won't." He said. Though, he wasn't entirely sure that statement was entirely true.

* * *

Daryl sighed as he turned in to his tent that evening. With his belly full and his bite wound cleaned, wrapped up tight and reduced to a dull throb; his eyes were growing heavy. His movements were sluggish as he moved around his living area, unlacing his boots and grabbing up a blanket. He laid himself out on his sleeping bag and settled his head on his pillow. Almost immediately, he drifted off into a world of slumber.

Waking was strange. He was way too warm and couldn't breathe right. He tried to throw off his blanket, but his limbs were uncoordinated. He shook his head to knock the covers down and suddenly, a hundred different smells hit his nose. He gasped and struggled to stand. What was going on? Why wouldn't his body listen to him? What were those damn _whining_ noises? He finally sprung free of his bed and crashed into the floor. There was a yelp, and _god damn it_ it was him that was making those ridiculous noises. He carefully got to his hands and knees. That much as working for him at least. But as soon as he attempted to stand, he was on the floor again. He was beginning to panic. He put his arms out in front of him and—He froze. There were long furry limbs with paws extending in front of him. _What. The. HELL? _His already erratic breathing increased and his head felt extremely lite. When he moved his arm, the furry leg moved too. When he curled his wrist, the paw moved around as well. He tried to stand again and fell. He crawled awkwardly over to his small wash basin and found his shaving mirror laying on the floor. He peered into it. Staring back at his was not his face.

It was a gold, furry face.

The face of a wolf.

Daryl promptly passed out.

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**A/N How'd I do? Hopefully it doesn't have anything too wrong with it grammar-wise. I just write this myself and post if it looks good to me. REVIEW! Please! :)) Have a pleasant day, dearies! See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N And I'm back with chapter two! To shed some light here, I am drawing my description of Daryl's wolf from a red wolf. Google images of them, they're beautiful! :) Carry on!**

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**Chapter Two**

"Daryl! Daryl, are you in there?"

His sense of hearing came before anything else. He tried to open groggy eyes, but sleep still had a hold over him. That crazy-ass dream of being a wolf came back to his mind and he shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

"Daryl!" It was Carol's voice. He barely heard the unzipping sound of his tent before hearing a gasp.

He finally got his eyes opened, and turned his head to see Carol looking at him, wide-eyed and mouth open. _What are you lookin' at? And why are you lookin' in my tent?_ Was what he thought he had said. All he heard back was a strange combination of snarls and whines. _What the hell?_ He tried speaking again. Clipped growls were all that followed. He noticed Carol had left, but he was starting to panic over his predicament again. He slowly rose to his feet, this time knowing that he had four of them, and found his balance.

His felt his ears move forward when he heard more voices approaching.

"…and you think it's a wolf?" Shane. Why was Shane coming over?

"Yes! It's certainly doesn't look like a domestic dog! It growled at me when I looked into his tent." That was Carol again.

Footsteps came right up to his tent, and the tent flapped was pulled open again. This time it was Shane's face that appeared. His angry eyes immediately met Daryl's.

_Threat! Threat! Threat!_ Alarm bells were ringing through Daryl's head. He went low to the ground and bared his teeth, snarling. _What the hell am I doing?_ Was what the rational side of his brain was saying. But he didn't look away from Shane and continued to express his dislike for the man.

Shane's eyes narrowed and he quickly fastened the tent closed again. "That thing's gotta go." The ex-cop snapped. "It's not tame and could attack anyone, given the chance."

"I don't know," came Carol's soft spoken voice. Daryl's posture eased a bit. "Maybe we should just find Daryl and get an explanation from him."

"Oh, I plan on it." Shane said, and then they were walking away from his tent.

The tension running through Daryl's body slowly lessened and he was able to begin to think through things.

_What it god's name happened to me? How the hell is this even real?_ Daryl looked down at his feet (paws). He lowered his head and brushed his nose (snout) down his front leg. A dirty white bandage was still wrapped around what used to be his right arm. He shook the limb and dislodged the wrapping. The wound was still there, but wasn't as painful as it had been. He swung his head around and investigated his back. Most of his fur was a golden orange, but down his back were rifts of deep russet. He noticed his paws were the same darker color. A lighter cream color splashed his belly and covered the inside of his legs. He observed powerful hind legs and a thick, bushy, red-orange tail. _I have a tail. A god damn TAIL!_ He experimented with its movement, and at his command, it swished back and forth. He was amused by the motion and continued waving it. He then snapped out of his revelry with the thought: _This is real. This is freakin' real. _He had somehow been turned into Goldilocks the Wolf overnight. A surge of anxiousness ran through him. Nobody knew it was him either. They would all think he was just an animal, and drive him away from the farm. Or kill him. Panic filled his mind at that thought and he began to pace the short floor space of the tent. Suddenly he felt too confined. His nervousness made itself known in the form of quiet whimpers.

"He can't just keep a wolf here without telling anyone! I don't care where he is, that thing has to be taken care of."

His head jerked up at the sound of footsteps and voices again. Shane was coming again. The hackles on the back of Daryl's neck stood and his ears laid back. The instinct to run was overpowering, but he had nowhere to go.

Then Rick's voice joined in. "Until we find Daryl, the wolf stays unharmed. He must have some explanation to why he has it." Rick! Ears perked and Daryl had hope. He knew if he could get on Rick's good side, he would be protected. Maybe he could convince the deputy of who it actually was in the wolf's body.

They were right outside the tent again and Daryl backed himself into the corner farthest from the entrance.

"We're at least tying it up," Shane was speaking again and the tent was unzipped. Two forms blocked Daryl's only escape. Both men eyed him cautiously. Daryl crouched low to the ground, watching them intently.

Shane lifted a pole in his hand and Daryl saw the noose at the end of it. He balked.

"Here doggy," Shane's voice feigned all soothing tones. He moved the catcher's pole towards the wolf.

Daryl began to panic. His eyes darted everywhere, looking for escapes. He eventually landed on Rick's gaze, who seemed surprise at the eye contact.

There was a sudden flurry of movement as Shane lunged and Daryl bolted. He shot past the despised man and nearly hit Rick in his plight for escape. He ducked low and threw himself through the open tent flap, tasting the fresh air in his nose. He had done it! He was – Daryl gave a sharp yelp as he was jerked back by his neck. He whirled around, ready to launch himself on Shane, when he saw it was Rick who was holding the length of rope that had slipped around his head.

_Damn it! _Daryl hadn't even noticed that Rick even had the rope.

Rick's posture was guarded, but Daryl didn't fight him. He slowly lowered himself to the ground as a show of submission. The surprise flowed from Rick's eyes and face.

Shane stumbled out of the tent, eyes blazing. "Stupid dog!" he exclaimed. He suddenly saw the wolf at Rick's feet. "What the hell!" he spluttered. "How did you get it to do that?" he motioned angrily and Daryl only supposed it was because he was seemingly calmed.

But at Shane's outburst, he halfway rose, baring his teeth and backing against the rope that held him. Shane took a step towards him and he gave a warning snarl.

The rage was evident in Shane's eyes, but Rick put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take care of it," he said. He gestured off in the distance. "I'll tie him over by the shed. You go tell everyone not to approach him until we get this all figured out."

Shane glared at the wolf, but nodded and stormed off.

Daryl didn't take his eyes of Shane and watched the angry man leave.

"Hey, psspss," Rick's voice grabbed his attention, and he turned to see the man crouching at the other end of the rope.

Daryl turned his ears up and tilted his head at him. He let the fur on his shoulders relax and rose to a sitting position.

Rick studied him.

"You sure are a strange one," he stated, smiling at the wolf. Curiosity entered his eyes.

Daryl was on guard when Rick slowly took a step towards him. The man was still squatting so that he was on the same level as the wolf.

Rick took several more steps toward him and extended his fist to him. Daryl lowered his ears nervously as the hand approached. But when it got about half a foot away from his face, it stopped advancing.

Daryl looked up at Rick. _What the hell do you want?_ He suddenly realized that Rick was treating him like a strange dog. He extended his nose out and gave a couple sniffs for show. Rick's scent was earthy and friendly. His mind cataloged the smell.

Rick's fingers uncurled and the hand reached out further still, settling on top of his head.

Daryl jerked back under the touch and yanked at the end of the rope, giving an unhappy whine. _Whine? Really, Dixon?_ He mentally scolded himself for reacting that way, but he wasn't expecting the foreign weight of the hand on his head.

"Hey, hey," Rick's soothing voice was back, his hand pulled back and raised to show Daryl he didn't mean harm. "Ok, you're ok, I won't touch you!" Damn that voice. Daryl was having a hard time not trusting it.

Rick stood slowly. "We've gotta get you over there," he nodded over to the shed across the field. He took an experimental step back, stretching the rope slightly.

Daryl felt the uncomfortable rub of the loop around his neck, and took a step towards Rick to get rid of the tension in the noose. He knew how this worked; he'd walked enough dogs before to know how he was expected to respond. And he hated it.

"Come on," Rick said, not turning his back on the wolf, but started his way to the shed.

Daryl picked up his feet and followed. He wasn't entirely used to the feeling to walking on all fours, but it came naturally enough to him in this body. He trotted next to Rick as they made their way over the land to reach the small shack-like building.

They walked straight up to the building, and Rick bent down next to a post and began wrapping the rope around it. Daryl watched as Rick spun a difficult looking knot. The man gave it a tug, and looked satisfied. He turned back to Daryl, still squatted down.

"You behave now, ya'hear?" He said. "We'll find Daryl and get this all sorted out."

Daryl gave a start and remembered that the others didn't know that he _was_ Daryl.

As Rick stood, turned away, Daryl wracked his brain to figure out how to get the man to understand. He started to yell at Rick and pull at the rope.

_Jus' hold on there! I AM Daryl! I don't know what's happened to me! Why don't you freakin' HELP me instead of tying me way out here where I can't do nothin'!_

Barks, yips, growls, whines, and any other related noise was assaulting his ears. He felt panic bubbling up in his chest at the thought of being left alone away from the group. He didn't know how to handle it. He was frantically jerking at the rope, but all it did was tighten around his neck, which made him pull harder.

"Whoa!" Rick's voice didn't quite cut through the haze of his panic.

Suddenly, there were hands on either side of his head. Daryl froze, panting furiously.

The hands weren't hurting him, just holding him still.

"Come on now," Rick soothed, his fingers slowly traveling down his throat and slipping between Daryl's fur and the rope. The man gave a tug and the tension lessened a bit. Daryl took a few deep breathes.

"What was that all about now?" Rick asked, hands still settled into his fur, working back and forth. Daryl had to admit that it was incredibly comforting and grudgingly accepted that it didn't feel too bad at that.

He turned his pleading eyes up to Rick, wondering how to get the man to understand. An idea suddenly hit him, and he raised his right paw up and stretched it out to Rick, trying to show him the bite wound from the day before.

Rick's confused gaze went down to his leg. He seemed to understand immediately.

"You're hurt!" he exclaimed, taking the leg into his hand and carefully examining the dried blood and scabbing. "Is that what's wrong with ya?"

Daryl leaned his nose and pushed against Rick's hand.

Rick let his foot down carefully and stood. "I'll go talk to Hershel and see if he'd come out here. You just stay here, alright? I'll be right back."

The man stood and walked away, casting several backwards glances to the wolf.

Daryl huffed to himself and flopped down in the dirt. That hadn't gone too well, but he at least got the man's attention.

Daryl settled his head on his out stretched paws, the sun warm, though not unbearable yet, like it would be in the afternoon. He watched the figure of Rick climb the porch steps of the farm house and disappear inside. He blew air forcefully out of his nose in impatience and waited.

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**A/N That was a long one to write. :)) But I couldn't ever find a stopping point! Lucky for you guys. haha Hope you enjoyed this installment! Be back soon! Review dearies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey guys! :) Not a whole lot of interest in the story it seems. :( But for the few who did favorite and review and follow, I thank you! And I love writing this, so I'll keep updating. :)) **

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Chapter Three

The pleasant heat on Daryl's back woke him. His eyes blinked open and he realized he had dozed off. He raised his head and gave a big yawn, tongue unfurling from his mouth. He stood and stretched, bending his front down and leaning back on his hind legs. He turned back to watch the farmhouse again. Rick still hadn't returned, even though he had said he'd be. Daryl sat and cocked his head towards the house, listening for anything that might have been happening. He swung his head to look at the RV and noticed the figure of Dale on the top, ever keeping watch.

Movement came from the corner of his eye. He looked and saw a squirrel moving along the ground, coming closer to his position. He slowly went down and made himself as invisible and still as possible. The poor tree animal didn't have a chance when it wandered into Daryl's radius.

In a flash, Daryl snapped the small vermin into his jaws and quickly killed it.

His eyes widened and he dropped the squirrel, backing away from it. _I just killed that thing by chewing on it. _He then came to another nasty realization. _That thing was in my mouth! _

Daryl stared at the carcass in disgust and walked away from it. He winced at the sharp pain in his leg. He looked down at his leg to find the bite wound trickling blood. He hobbled a few steps, and then flopped down.

He swung his head to watch the house again. He was getting bored of waiting. He looked at the rope tethered to the pole. He then took up the length that fell from his neck and began gnawing on it. That texture scraped the inside of his mouth terribly. He spit the rope back out and growled.

The warm wind ruffled through his fur and suddenly, his nose twitched. That was Rick's scent! He raised his head and saw the deputy making his way to the shed, Hershel Greene beside him, carrying a bag. As they got nearer, he stood to greet them, not putting pressure on his right leg.

"Here he is," Rick said, walking up. "See, isn't his coloring strange?"

Hershel was watching the wolf warily, Daryl returning the expression.

"That's a red wolf," Hershel said matter-of-factly, gesturing at Daryl. "Typically they have thinner frames than other types of wolves, and their facial features resemble that of a fox. This one seems to be a bit more filled out, but he's got all the right markings of one. Beautiful specimen, really," Hershel added, more to himself. His eyes narrowed. "Doesn't mean he can stay here scaring all my livestock. What was that hunter of yours thinking, bringing a wild animal like this to my home?"

Daryl's ears laid back at this, his upper lip twitching into a scowl.

"We don't exactly know," Rick said, brows creasing together. "Nobody has seen him all morning."

Hershel huffed. "Well, when he gets back, make sure he gets a talkin' too." He turned his attention back to Daryl. "Now, you said he was hurt?"

Rick nodded and approached Daryl. "His right leg," he said, crouching down next to the wolf.

"He's letting you approach him like that?" Hershel wondered.

Rick nodded and looked back up at the vet. "Yeah, it's so strange. When Shane and I went to Daryl's tent to get him out, he made a break for it. I ended up getting the rope around him, and he turned on me." Rick scratched his head. "I full expected him to attack, but instead, he just lays down, all calm like."

Hershel frowned. "That's unusual behavior indeed. It means he's probably been around humans before."

"Well, he did react terribly when Shane tried to approach him." Rick turned back to Daryl.

Hershel chuckled. "I don't blame him." He slowly walked up to the wolf and crouched down, setting his bag on the ground

Daryl flattened his ears again and retreated back. He didn't want the old man that close to him.

Hershel gave Rick a skeptical look and Rick called to the wolf.

"Hey, we're trying to help," he held his hand out to Daryl, who just stared at it.

"I will not treat him unless I know he won't bite me," Hershel said. "I'm not risking my fingers to a useless wild animal."

Daryl snarled at the old man.

Hershel undid his bag and pulled out a leather strappy thing. He handed it over to Rick. "You said he let you touch him? Get that over his snout for me."

Rick sighed and took the thing from Hershel.

Daryl suddenly realized what the thing was and gave a low growl, backing up until the rope wouldn't let him. He didn't want to bite Rick, but there was no way in hell he was lettin' himself get muzzled. He snapped at Rick's hands as he got closer. Rick pulled back.

"Come on now," he chided softly. "Just let me do this. We'll get you all fixed up and you'll be rid of it in no time."

Daryl bared his teeth again, but thought through his predicament. He needed Rick's favor. The old man would just wrap his leg and be gone. Hating himself, he let his lips fall over his teeth and slowly sank down.

Rick exchanged a look with Hershel, who raised his eyebrows. Rick approached the wolf again and knelt down, hand hovering close to Daryl's head. As if experimenting, he placed his hand down on the wolf. When Daryl didn't move, Rick smiled and pet his head. Daryl cringed in humiliation.

Rick moved the muzzle towards his face, and Daryl watched dreadfully as the thing came closer. Rick quickly slid it over his nose and fixed the straps behind his head. Daryl immediately felt too constricted and jerked out of Rick's touch. He snorted and tried to growl, but couldn't get his mouth open wide enough to make the right sound. Daryl pawed pathetically at the thing, trying to slide it back off. _Worst. Idea. Ever._ He decided.

A hand slid under the rope around his neck and tugged it.

Daryl glared at Rick, but begrudgingly complied to be led to Hershel.

The vet held up both hands for Daryl to see and lowered to Daryl's injured leg. A weight settled at his side and once again, Rick moved his hand around the impromptu choker, his other arm going around the wolf's back and shoulders.

Daryl grumbled at being so contained, but allowed the contact.

Hershel lifted the leg and studied it. After a moment, he made a comment. "This is a bite wound. From another dog or wolf I'd say. It doesn't look to be bad at all," The vet reached back into his back and pulled out paper rags and began blotting at the wound.

At the initial sting, Daryl growled and tried to pull his foot. The vet had a strong grip though, and pulled the limb back to him.

"Shhh," Rick soothed into the wolf's ear, working his hand through the fur on his shoulder.

"Keep him still, this is peroxide," Hershel brought a small bottle out and positioned it over the outstretched leg.

The arm around Daryl tightened, but Daryl was determined not to move this time.

As the liquid burned over his leg, Daryl tensed, but didn't pull back. A low whine cut through his throat at the pain. A hand clasped the side of his head and ran over his ear. The hypersensitive flesh there tingled pleasantly at the gentle touch. Daryl's rational mind snapped back. _Man, you're touchin' my freakin' ear! _He pulled his head away from the hand.

Hershel continued his ministrations and wrapped a sterile bandage around the leg. He let the limb down gently, patted the wolf's head and gathered his things back in his bag. He stood and stepped back a ways, nodding to Rick.

The hands went around his head again and Daryl could feel the straps of the god-awful muzzle being worked. As the thing slipped off his snout, he opened and closed his mouth several times, and licked his lips.

Taking the device, Hershel said, "Whenever that young man turns up, tell him to either get rid of it or keep it away from my farm. I won't have him getting into the chicken coop or stirring up my other animals." He gave a stern glance between Rick and the wolf before turning back to head to his house.

Rick was still beside him, one hand massaging the fur on his back. Daryl gave a huff and pulled away.

Rick chuckled. "You are an odd one," he said. He looked up at the sky and ran the back of his hand over his forehead. "It's gettin' hot out here." He met Daryl's gaze again. "Best get you some water I guess."

The man pushed himself up and walked to the shed door. He opened it up and walked in, Daryl trotting at his heels. The inside of the small building was stifling.

Rick shuffled around a few items on the cluttered shelf before picking out a pail. He smiled at the wolf and gave his head a passing scratch as he exited the shack.

Daryl snorted, but continued following the deputy. He had to stop at the end of the rope and watched as Rick went over to the water spout and give it as few pumps and caught the falling water in the pail. He walked back over to Daryl and crouched down, setting the bucket in front of the wolf.

Daryl looked into it and realized how scratchy his throat was feeling. He dipped his face down and awkwardly lapped up some of the liquid. It saturated his throat and quenched his thirst. He cast a grateful look to Rick, huffed and sat, not sure on what to do.

Rick was studying him intently. He reached forward with his hand and rested his knuckles against his cheek, rubbing the fur.

Daryl watched him and let the contact happen.

"Where did you come from?" Rick mused, eyebrows creasing in speculation.

Daryl cocked his head at Rick. _Finally, we're gettin' somewhere_. He raised his paw at Rick and gave a soft bark.

Rick shook his head and chuckled. "Damn, it's like you understand what I am saying."

Daryl excitedly barked again, louder this time. _'Bout damn time!_

Rick's eyes narrowed, "What the hell?"

"Rick! Hey, Rick!" It was Andrea's voice. The man and wolf turned at her call. Both Andrea and Shane were headed their way.

Rick stood and walked to meet them.

_No, damn it! _Daryl followed until he came to the end of the rope, tugging at it irritably.

Andrea glanced at him and turned to Rick. "I'm supposin' that belongs to Daryl?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah, ain't he somethin'?"

Andrea frowned. "Sure, but is he safe to be around? I saw you petting him, but Shane said he was downright vicious."

Shane put his hands on his hips, "Yeah, how are you gettin' so close to him like that?"

Rick shrugged and looked back at Daryl. "I have no idea. He seems to be a real intelligent animal, and he lets me approach and touch him. Hershel guesses he's been around humans before."

Andrea walked past the men and up to the wolf.

Daryl backed up a step when she approached, watching her warily, but not showing teeth.

She crouched down a few feet from him. "Come here, boy," she called to him, holding her hand out. Daryl curled his lip, but went to her.

"Hey there, good boy!" she praised and reached to touch him.

Daryl ducked his head and growled softly at her. _I ain't doin' no trick show._

Andrea got the message and pulled back. Glancing back at the men who were watching, she shrugged. "He doesn't seem too wild," she said, standing, "He's at least interacting with us."

"That's not how he was acting at all earlier," Shane protested. "The bastard was murderous!" He strode over to the wolf.

Daryl immediately went low to the ground, not retreating, but showing plenty of teeth to the ex-cop.

Shane turned back. "Ya see!" He looked at Daryl, who pinned his ears back.

Rick stepped forward and bent down next to Shane. Daryl calmed a bit, but still threatened Shane. Rick chuckled. "He doesn't seem to be too fond of ya," he said.

Shane snorted. "That's an understatement. Why? I've seen him just as much as you have here! I ain't done nothin' to deserve this behavior!"

_'Cept by being your narcissistic asshole self._ Daryl snarled.

"None of that now!" Rick scolded, reaching out and pushing firmly on Daryl's snout.

Daryl snorted in surprise and lifted his head to Rick. _The hell was that for?_ He huffed indignantly.

"I swear, it's like he understands what we say," Rick said. "He's not half so bad as I thought. And he's certainly not completely wild."

Andrea looked contemplative.

"Damn, if Dixon would just get his ass back here," Shane snapped. "Where the hell did he go?"

Rick sighed. "I don't know. It's not like him to leave without tellin' anyone when he'll at least be back." He shook his head. "His stuff is all here, his weapons, his possessions, his motorcycle. He didn't take off with the intent of leavin'. My guess is he'll be back by evening, latest."

Andrea nodded. "Until then, there's a few chores we still have to take care of this afternoon. Hershel asked for any help we could give on mending a few gaps in the fences."

Rick nodded and stood up, Shane following suit. Rick cast a glance back at Daryl before following Andrea.

Shane gave one last look down at the wolf.

Daryl curled his lips and gave a warning growl.

Shane scoffed and went on his way.

Leaving Daryl alone to wait. Again. Daryl sighed heavily and sat down. _This is gettin' real old._

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**A/N Rick's getting there! haha Whatcha think? Drop a review for me! It encourages me to keep writing it! Even though I'll write it anyway... lol**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N So, I know it's been somewhere close to three weeks without an update, and I apologize, but that was getting through Midterms and Spring Break. :) But I am back! It was actually brought to my attention that I'm not entirely on par with my description of a red wolf, and for that, I apologize. **

**I felt I needed a change in pace, so I switched it to Rick's view. You, the reader, know that Daryl is the wolf, but Rick is still oblivious. I had a great time writing the interaction from his POV. Good news! I've finally figured out where this stands in season two (kinda)! This chapter is also a bit lighter-hearted than the actual show is, but I felt like it needed to be. I'll get darker when the Sophia situation hits. **

**And to the anon who cussed me out for no reason: If you review, please say something relevant.**

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Chapter Four

Rick wiped the sweat off his brow, glancing at the golden-orange sky. He set his shovel aside and leaned against the post he had just finished installing, taking a swig of the water from his canteen. Hershel's youngest girl, Beth, was working next to him, lifting a wooden beam and fitting it into holes that were hollowed out in the posts.

Rick had to give the girl credit. For as timid as she was, Beth was strong and didn't shy away from the heavy lifting portion of the building project. On top of that, she had gotten on to Jimmy, Glenn and T-Dog several times, redirecting their posts or giving them tips on how to secure the fence pieces once they had been set in. Rick smiled. The girl was farm bred, through and through.

His twelve-year-old son, Carl, had been working hard on the other side of Beth, not quite being able to lift a fence beam by himself, but trying to show off in front of the sixteen-year-old girl. Rick smiled as his son jogged up to him.

"Are we almost done, Dad?" he asked, "I'm hungry!"

As if on cue, a cow bell sounded and the workers glanced towards the farm house.

"Patricia's got dinner ready," Beth announced, pulling off her dirty gloves and leaning down to pick up her shovel. Jimmy grabbed up the tools he'd been using and hurried to the blonde girl's side, speaking in hushed tones to her and making her laugh.

Carl looked a little downcast at the two, and Rick patted his son's shoulder.

"Looks like you called it pretty good there," he said. "Let's get back to your mom and get cleaned up for dinner."

Andrea fell into step next to Rick and Carl as they headed to wash up.

"We almost got the whole field lined," she said. "And by adding another couple feet on top, by the time we finish, any Walker is going to have a hell of a time getting over it."

Rick nodded in agreement.

"Great work today guys," T-Dog said as he and Glenn walked up to join them, carrying various shovels and post-hole diggers. "I'm so hungry now, though, I could eat one of those cows whole!" He lifted his hand in the direction of a group of cattle grazing in the far distance.

"Then you wouldn't be much better than a Walker, would you?" Glenn quipped, grinning.

T-Dog looked confused for a moment as the others laughed and then shouldered Glenn. "I would cook it first, man!" he exclaimed. "Grilled up medium rare with a barbeque marinade!" He sighed in contentment while the others chuckled.

"I could go for that," Rick said.

Faraway looks crossed their faces as they all started dreaming about the finer foods they'd missed since the virus outbreak.

"I miss pizza, Dad," Carl said, looking up at Rick.

They all laughed.

"Me too, Carl," Glenn said. "I would love to get my old job back. Delivering pies beats outrunning Walkers any day."

"Pies?" an inquisitive look crossed Carl's face. "I was talking abou—"

"Pizza pies!" Glenn told him. "A pie is just another word for a pizza."

Carl frowned in thought. "How does that make sense?" he asked Glenn.

Glenn's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, I guess the way it's shaped, and the slices are cut triangular, like a pie." He explained.

Carl still looked perplexed, and looked beseechingly at his dad.

Rick laughed and shrugged. "Beats me, kid," He said, ruffling Carl's hair and draping his arm around his shoulder.

Among the laughter and camaraderie, Rick's gaze passed across the field to the shed. There, sitting stoically at the end of his tie, was the wolf. The animal was watching them, Rick noted. The stare that unnerved him so much, following their progress to the house. Rick thought there was something entirely odd about the not-so-wild animal; it's piercing blue eyes far too intelligent to just be a dumb beast.

"I think it's so cool that Daryl has a wolf!" Carl exclaimed next to him, obviously noticing where his Dad's attention had shifted. "Do you think I could go see it, Dad, please?"

Rick smiled at his son. "We'll see. I was gonna take him somethin' to eat later, we'll ask your mom if you can tag along."

"Awww," Carl complained. "But Mom always says 'no' to this kind of stuff. Can't we just keep it a secret?" He turned hopeful bright eyes to Rick.

Rick chuckled and patted his son's shoulder as they ascended the front porch steps. "I don't think that'd be wise." He said, opening the door for the group that followed behind him.

He found Lori in the kitchen with Carol and Patricia, dishing platefuls of food. He said his greetings and was promptly shooed to the bathroom to wash up.

As the group of people sat down to eat, Carol was the one to bring up the absence of Daryl.

"He can't have just gone off!" she exclaimed. "He took nothing with him!"

"Daryl can survive on his own for a while," Rick reasoned. "Why he would leave without telling us and not even taking his crossbow is beyond me. He's probably out there looking for Sophia. We can go lookin' tomorrow if he doesn't come back in tonight."

Carol looked upset, but nodded.

The topic turned to the fence that was under construction and Beth told her father about the work they had done. Hershel's lips quirked up into a smile at his youngest daughter. He was proud of her, Rick could tell.

As dinner came to a close, everyone parted ways, some going to start their shift in watch duty, and some helping clear the table. As he left the kitchen, Rick caught sight of Hershel.

"Hey, Hershel?" he called.

The old man turned at the sound of his name and found Rick's eyes.

Rick walked over to him. "I was wonderin' if you had any kind of dog food. I know I haven't seen any dogs around here, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask."

Hershel eyed Rick for a moment before nodding. "If you insist on feedin' that wolf, I think we might have a left over container of dry food out in the stables. That's where ol' Bo stayed." Hershel smiled sadly. "I was fond of that dog. Border collie he was. Died back in the spring."

Rick nodded sympathetically. "That's too bad," he said.

Hershel shrugged and snapped out of his reminiscing. "He was fifteen or sixteen years old, it was just his time. I think his old bowls are still out there too if you want to make use of them."

Rick thanked the man and went to find Lori and Carl. Like he had guessed, Lori exclaimed she didn't want Carl going anywhere near the wolf. Carl sighed, looking dejected. Rick patted his head.

"Sorry, Carl," he said. "Maybe if he sticks around a bit, you'll get to see him up close."

Carl found little comfort in the thought and went about his business.

Rick made his way to the stables, the dusky evening sky not giving very much light to the building. Rick shuffled around the storage shelves a bit before finding a set of matching dog bowls. He looked to the floor beneath the shelf and located a large tub, about half way full of dry kibble. He scooped one of the bowls into the food and snapped the top shut again.

He exited the stables and started across the field to the shed. The wolf had been lying down, but turned his head and stood when he heard Rick approach. He trotted to the end of his line, his tail giving a minute wag, waiting. Rick smiled as he walked up to the animal, crouching down, and reaching for the wolf's ear with his free hand. The wild dog intercepted his hand with his paw, shoving at it and giving a grumble. There was no malice behind the growl, simply irritation.

Rick chuckled. "Well, hello to you too," he said, standing and giving the furry head a passing stroke as he made his way to the shed. He lent down and set the food on the ground and turned to the wolf, which had followed him and was watching curiously.

"There ya go," Rick told him. "You haven't eaten all day, I'm sure you're hungry."

He stared at the bowl Rick had put down, and then back at Rick, blue eyes boring into his.

Rick frowned. "It's food," he said, picking out a few pieces of the kibble and tossing them at the wolf's feet.

The wolf snuffed at the dry pieces in the dirt and stared back at Rick.

"What, not fancy enough for you or somethin'?" Rick chided, pushing the bowl towards the animal. "Get over it, it's all we got for now."

The wolf pulled his lip, and looked down at the bowl. He lowered his head and gave the food a few sniffs before carefully taking a couple of the pieces. He crunched down on them and froze. Immediately, he spit the food back to the ground, tongue working in and out of his mouth, as if trying to get rid of the taste. He growled lightly and stared at Rick.

Rick held his hands up. "It's all you're gettin', sorry." He was thoroughly amused by the wolf's behavior.

The wolf began to pace in front of him, giving several growls and guffs before sitting back down in front of Rick and placing a paw on his knee, giving it a push.

Rick reached out and ran his hand through the thick fur on the animal's neck. "What d'ya want me to do about that, hmm?" he asked, smiling.

The wolf barked and Rick laughed. The animal continued making noises, as if trying to carry on the conversation.

"Do you actually think I can understand you?" Rick asked, still rubbing the soft neck.

The wolf scratched at his knee and gave a low hum.

Rick thought for a moment, recalling his previous encounters with the animal. Feeling incredibly stupid, he said, "Bark once if you understand what I am sayin'."

The wolf cocked his head to the side, blue eyes gazing quizzically at him.

Rick sighed.

A split second later, the wolf barked.

Rick froze, staring at the animal. "Alright now, bark twice."

The wolf huffed, but gave two barks.

Rick was floored by the animal's response. Continuing his test, he held out his hand. "Shake," he commanded.

The wolf actually snarled, intelligent eyes narrowing. Rick just waited, hand outstretched.

A dark paw dropped into his hand.

Several questions ran through Rick's head. _Who did the wolf belong to? Why did Daryl have a trained wolf? Where did Daryl even get it?_ He remembered Daryl's bite wound. Perhaps this was that wolf? Was the wolf the reason Daryl had left?

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the cold, wet nose pushing against the hand that was closed around the paw. White fangs nipped gently at his fingers. He released the limb and the wolf sat down, watching Rick. The man decided to push his luck.

"Lay down," Rick tried.

The wolf threw his head to the side and gave something resembling a snort, and lowered himself to the ground.

"Unbelievable," Rick muttered to himself. "Well, you're not completely wild, that's for sure, you were somebody's pet."

The wolf groaned and dropped his chin to the ground.

Rick looked up at the darkened sky and stood.

"I'd better get back to the camp," he said, pushing on his knees to stand up. The wolf jumped up as well, and as Rick started to walk away, he gave a whine and dove for Rick's ankles, grabbing a pant leg.

"Hey!" Rick exclaimed. The wolf just lay at his feet, jaws clamped shut over the hem of the man's pants. Rick sighed and crouched. "You seem to have a bit of separation anxiety, don't you?" he reached down and scratched behind the wolf's ear. The animal folded his ears back, but didn't budge. "Look," Rick said, "You can't come with me. I would tie you closer, but the others in the group, they don't trust you." Rick molded both his hands into the wolf's fur, working them back and forth, just holding eye contact with him for a minute.

The wolf grumbled, released the pant leg, and settled his head onto his paws, eyes gazing sorrowfully back at Rick.

"Sorry, boy, I'll see about movin' you tomorrow," Rick stepped away from the wolf and started back to the group's campsite, looking back several times at the still form. He sighed as he caught sight of Daryl's tent up the hill a ways.

_Where the hell is Dixon?_

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**A/N Hope this satisfied you for a bit! I know, it hasn't really gone anywhere yet, and it's a bit slow. I have a plot in mind, but it's later on. I haven't figured out the Great Revelation yet. haha Be back soon, hopefully! Thanks for reading Dearies! Your reviews mean so much to me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Well, this chapter came out a lot faster than I anticipated! :)) I am getting really excited about this story and hopefully next chapter things start actually tying in to the story line of the show. **

**Thank you soooo so so much for reading and reviewing! The view count for this is over 1,000 now, which blows me away. It makes me super happy that you guys love it! Being a first-time author on here, the response encourages me greatly!**

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Chapter Five

Daryl didn't get a good night's rest at all. Between every noise hitting his sensitive ears to just plain restlessness, he slept in short shifts. When he was awake, he would pace the length of his line, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary around the farm and camp.

Daryl was asleep when the sky was brightening, and was gently woken by the rising sun. He blinked slowly and raised his head. He yawned and let his tongue fall out of his mouth, stretching his jowl wide. He lazily watched the goings-on of the morning around him, not moving from the spot he had curled up in. The birds were up, annoying him with their incessant chirping.

His belly clenched as his stomach pleaded for something. He winced, his head swinging toward the direction of the still-full dog bowl Rick had brought by the evening before.

_No way in hell I'm tryin' that again._ He turned his lip up at it and looked away. The one bite he'd taken, it was completely bland and dry, nastily sticking to his taste buds even after he had spit the food back out. Something else caught his mind and he swung his head to the far corner of the shed, where he had killed that squirrel the previous day. The dead furry critter was still where he had left it. Eating the squirrel wasn't the debate in his mind, it was the fact that he didn't have hands to skin the animal with. Just his teeth. And that just seemed barbaric.

_I've done worse. _He countered himself. _But I can wait a bit longer before resortin' to that._

He nosed his side as his stomach rumbled again, willing it to be still.

He heard a door open and voices began to waft in his direction. He looked up at the farm house to see the Greene sisters walking to the chicken coop, baskets swinging in their hands, free arms looped together. Patricia was following them with another basket, wide brimmed hat shielding her from the rising summer sun. The woman went to her garden and began inspecting her vegetable plants.

Daryl settled his chin between his paws, not ready to get up yet.

_What's the use? They won't let ya off the damn rope anyway._ He huffed, dirt scattering at his breath. He was frustrated with Rick, who was still hadn't realized what was going on. He couldn't blame the man; the fact that Daryl was in a wolf's body was outrageous and unbelievable. At least he had managed to gain Rick's trust, even if the man had humiliated him with cheap tricks.

Daryl turned his gaze to watch the campsite. T-Dog was lounging on top of the RV, keeping watch on the distant fields and woods.

He rose, his russet fur rippling as his lean body stretched out the cramps of the night. He found himself shaking his head, the motion traveling through his shoulders and down his back, ending with his tail. That seemed to loosen his sleep-crunched muscles.

Daryl nudged his right leg. The soreness had dulled significantly since Greene had treated it. He paced his line a bit before sitting and watching the farm house as the sisters tended to the animals, singing together as they went. He was bored out of his mind with nothing to do.

Daryl's ear swiveled back at the sound of footsteps. He turned his head to see Rick's boy, Carl, of all people, heading his way. The kid kept glancing behind him, as if expecting someone.

_The boy's not supposed to come see me. _Daryl realized. He smirked and turned his body to face Carl, sitting down and watching him intently.

Carl stopped several feet away from him, crouching down.

"Hey, boy!" Carl called softly, clicking his tongue.

Daryl just kept watching him.

"Hey, I gotcha something," Carl said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a napkin, glancing behind his shoulder again.

Daryl's ears went up in curiosity as Carl unfolded the napkin to reveal a few handfuls of scrambled eggs. The wolf's nose twitched and he licked his lips.

"Come on," Carl said, "Come get it!"

_Damn kid's tryin' to bribe me! _Daryl narrowed his eyes at the Carl, but got up and slowly made his way to him.

Carl laid the napkin out in front of his feet, waiting for the wolf.

Stretching his head forward as far as his neck would allow, Daryl reached for the eggs. He gave Carl on last glance before quickly devouring the food.

He flinched as small hands patted his head, but didn't give Carl much notice as he downed the last of the eggs and sat back, hoping the kid had brought something else.

Carl laughed and scratched his ears.

Daryl leaned away from the fingers, but the hand followed him. He gave an exasperated huff.

_C'mon, kid, what else ya got? _Daryl sniffed the air around him, trying to detect any other scraps Carl might have been hiding from him.

"Dad's right! You are friendly!" Carl said excitedly.

Daryl snorted and gave a little growl. _Boy, if you think this is being friendly, you've got some screwed notions in that head of yours._

He grudgingly allowed Carl to rub his head, recognizing the light in the boy's eyes. It was the same one he had when he was nine or ten years old himself. Merle had brought home a scraggly stray dog for his birthday. The mutt was half mad and missing an ear, but Daryl found a best friend in the animal.

Maybe that's what Carl was looking for as well.

"CARL!"

Both boy and wolf winced at the shout.

"Carl, get away from that animal!" Lori's voice carried loudly over to the pair.

"Oh boy," Carl muttered and quickly said, "I'll try and be back later, don't worry!"

Carl hurriedly got up and faced his mother.

Daryl looked around Carl's legs and saw Lori storming over to them.

At her posture, Daryl stood and backed, the fur on his shoulders rising slightly.

"Mom, he's not—" the boy began.

"What did I tell you?" Lori exclaimed, finally getting over to them. "Get back this instant, young man!" Fearful eyes darted and met Daryl's.

Daryl gazed back at the woman, staying as still as he could, trying not to seem like a threat to her.

Lori wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and pulled him back towards the group's camp site, Carl protesting the whole way.

When they were far enough away, Daryl huffed and flopped down again.

_Well, ya got some eggs outta that at least._ He told himself. He was still hungry, but it seemed the eggs had sated a small bit of his stomach.

With the sun shining on him, Daryl found his mind becoming fuzzy, drifting in the pleasant warmth.

He laid there for a while, half aware of the activity of the people. He knew they were working on reinforcing the weaker fence that had been falling apart. The new structure was turning out great. The group needed a sturdier barrier between them and the dead. Whether the Greene family fully realized the intentions of the Atlanta crew, but either way, the farm was getting a new fence and the group was gaining better protection.

He looked back at the camp and saw several of them grouped together. Shane and Rick were talking it looked like, Carol cutting in every once in a while. Shane finally raised his hands, in frustration it seemed, and went back into his tent. He emerged a second later, gun in hand. He motioned to T-Dog, Carol and Glenn, heading towards the woods. Rick nodded to the three as they left after Shane.

Daryl watched as they entered the woods. His ear perked forward. They were probably going out searching. For him. When he was sitting right under their noses.

He rose and paced, growling in helplessness, pulling at the rope. He huffed gruffly and collapsed in the dirt again, knowing all he could do was wait.

The morning passed in absolute boredom. Daryl bided his time by napping, pacing, and occasionally hiking his hind leg to relieve himself against the shed, an action which somewhat amused him. As he was watching the group work, one of them, his ears picked out Maggie Greene's southern draw, called for a lunch break. As the people dispersed and went separate ways, Daryl caught movement at the forest edge. His eyes snapped to the spot, but he relaxed when it was only T-Dog, Glenn, Carol and Shane coming through.

Rick and Andrea met them and a conversation entailed. Daryl strained his ears, but didn't catch much. Enough to know that they had indeed been out looking for him and came back empty handed. Shane went off towards his tent while Glenn and Carol wandered toward the farm house. Rick stayed behind talking with T-Dog and Andrea. Several gestures were made in his direction, and then the troupe began to make their way to the shed.

T-Dog whistled when they had reached the wolf. "Damn, didn't even know Georgia had wolves! I've never seen one in person before." He looked impressed as he walked along Daryl's line of sight.

Daryl drew himself up and raised his head and chest as he was being scrutinized.

"Doesn't he have such pretty eyes?" Andrea commented, catching Daryl's attention. "What a beautiful blue! They're like crystal." She knelt near him.

Daryl took a step away from her and looked over to Rick, who was watching him as well.

"You said he responded to any command you gave him?" T-Dog asked from behind him.

Daryl swiveled around to look at the man, realizing he had stepped out of his line of vision. He tensed, not liking where the conversation was going.

"Yeah, it was fascinating really!" Rick said, squatting down. "Like I said before, he's flipped out a couple different times at being left alone. I wanted to do a little trial run and see how he'd react being around everyone else. I had a talk with Hershel, and finally got him to give him a chance." He held out his hand to the wolf. "C'mere, boy," he called, a confident gleam in his eye.

_God dammit, Dixon, you've out done yourself this time._ Daryl flattened his ears and watched Rick. _I ain't no show pony, Grimes!_ Snips of a growl made its way through his throat.

"Hey now, don't start this again," Rick sighed. He leaned forward a bit more. "Come on, please?"

Daryl blew out a breath and moved over to him.

Rick carded his fingers through the fur on Daryl's neck and scratched his head, looking up. "See?" he said. "He listens."

T-Dog chuckled. "He sure looked like he wasn't gonna there for a second." The black man walked over and crouched beside Daryl, hand going out.

Daryl twisted away from the hand, a noise of discomfort breaking from his throat. He didn't necessarily have any qualms with the man anymore, but he really didn't want to be touched if he didn't have to be.

T-Dog seemed disappointed, but backed off. "I get it man, new face, sorry there!" he talked down to the wolf.

"Give him time," Rick said, hand finding the wolf's shoulder, rubbing it. "He'll warm up to you, I'm sure." He chuckled suddenly. "Lori said she caught Carl out here feeding him this mornin', maybe that's all you need."

Daryl curled his lip. _Think I can be bought that easily?_ His empty bowels answered for him. Yeah, maybe he could be.

Andrea stood. "Where do you plan on moving him to?" she asked.

Rick straightened. "I was thinkin' about stakin' him next to the big oak over there." He gestured to one of the large trees on the perimeter of the group of tents. "It's close enough of be around us, but far enough away so he's not underfoot and can adjust without being overwhelmed."

Rick walked to the post where the rope end was fastened and Daryl nearly jumped in excitement.

"He's happy about that," T-Dog laughed.

Daryl then realized his tail was swishing back and forth. He abruptly lowered it. He watched as Rick unfastened the knot and wound the excess rope up around his hand. He also picked up the dog food bowl.

"He hasn't eaten any of this," he said, frowning at Daryl.

_Well, duh I haven't. Dipshit. _Daryl rolled his eyes and huffed.

Andrea took initiative from Rick and picked up the almost empty water pail.

They began to move away from the god-forsaken shed and towards the tents and RV. Andrea paused at the water well and refilled the bucket.

Daryl began to quicken his pace as they neared the tents.

If he could get to his own stuff, maybe he could find a way to relay the fact that he was the wolf to the others.

He had his own tent in sight and when Rick tried to pull him off course, he pulled back.

Rick looked back at the wolf. "Well, come on," he said.

Daryl sat down stubbornly and leaned away from the rope.

"Where are you going?" Rick asked, glancing up in the general direction Daryl was trying to drag him back to. "You goin' back to Daryl's tent? He's still not there," he tried to reason.

_Course I'm here. _Daryl growled at Rick. _You just can't seem to understand that. _

"Come on, you're staying over here until we find him," Rick frowned at Daryl's tent and tugged firmly on the rope.

Daryl didn't move, and the noose cut into his larynx, blocking his air flow. He gave a choked grunt and looked up at Rick, getting to his feet and pulling against the rope. _Just take me over there dammit!_

Rick gave another tug and won out as the need for oxygen forced Daryl forward. He panted a couple times and glared at Rick as they began walking again.

Approaching the tree Rick had mentioned, Daryl noticed a long chain encircling the thick trunk. The man stooped and picked up a much shorter chain that lay at the base of the tree, folding the middle and passing it through the loop at the end of it.

Rick slipped the metal choker around the wolf's neck and fastened the end of the chain around the tree to it. He then undid the rope around Daryl's neck and gave him a pat on the head.

Daryl growled and brushed passed the man, circling around the tree out of his sight and flopping down, chain rattling, the sound mocking him.

"You mad at me now?" Rick asked, crouching beside the wolf's head, hand running down the dark back.

Daryl turned his head further away from the man, snorting.

"Alright, fine, be that way," Rick's voice had an amused edge to it, making Daryl angrier. He didn't respond to the man, and heard Rick stand and walk away. Even then he didn't raise his head.

He was agitated, mostly with himself and his inability to communicate properly with the group. He had no idea what going on, why he was stuck in this body. How would he change back?

Or would he even change back?

That thought terrified him the most.

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**A/N Annnnd we got basically nowhere again, but Daryl's finally going to be integrated with the group at least! This is going to turn out into one beastly long story I think. But I don't think I'll have a problem with that. Summer break hits in another month for me. I'm gonna have time. :P**

**PS Who loved the Carl interaction? So sweet! I'm thinking Carl's going to unknowingly help lead up to the Great Reveal. I've got some more Wolf/Carl stuff later! Every boy needs a dog! Or a wolf... **


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